AFC East Off-season Grades

The AFC East has had quite the eventful off-season. From Tom Brady's departure to Tua Tagovailoa's arrival, there have been big names coming in and out of the division. Let's dive right into it.

New England Patriots Free Agency:

Key Additions/Retainals: QB Brian Hoyer

DB Adrian Phillips

WR Damiere Byrd

DL Beau Allen

DB Devin Mccourty

ST Matthew Slater

LG Joe Thuney

Key Losses: QB Tom Brady

OLB Kyle Van Noy

LB Jamie Collins

LB Elandon Roberts

DB Duron Harmon

DL Danny Shelton

WR Phillip Dorsett

K Stephen Gostkowski

Oh boy. There was a mass exodus out of New England this past free-agency period. They lost multiple key contributors. Some of those players left to other teams within the division. Others went to the Detroit P̶a̶t̶r̶i̶o̶t̶s̶ Lions. Then of course, there was Tom Brady's highly publicized departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At least there was the draft to look towards to!

New England Patriots Draft:

Notable Draft Picks: Round 2, Pick 37: S Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne

Round 2, Pick 60: LB Josh Uche, Michigan

Round 3, Pick 87: LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama

Round 3, Pick 91: TE Devin Asiasi, UCLA

Round 3, Pick 101: TE Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech

As per usual, the Patriots traded down from their first pick of the draft. They acquired pick 37 (used to select Dugger), and pick 71, which they traded out of as well. Speaking of Dugger, there has been a lot of Belichick bashing for the selection of a D-II player. I personally disagree with the criticism, as I think Dugger is a player with good potential and athleticism. Hopefully (from the Patriot's perspective, but not of any other human being on Earth) he'll develop into the player they see him to be. Josh Uche was another pick that I liked a lot. As a Dolphins fan, I was hoping he'd fall to us at around pick 70, but Belichick scooped him up at 60. He'll be a solid contributor, possibly filling the void left by Kyle Van Noy. The rest of the picks were pretty lackluster, making for an overall dull draft.

Overall Off-Season Grade: C

Buffalo Bills Free-Agency:

Key Additions/Retainals: WR Stefon Diggs

CB Josh Norman

OLB Mario Addison

CB Kevin Johnson

DL Vernon Butler

DL Star Lotulelei

S Jordan Poyer

WR Robert Foster

Key Losses: DL Shaq Lawson

DT Jordan Phillips

You have to commend the Bills for their free-agency. They managed to add/retain a lot of guys that'll play on Sunday's, while losing only two players (though they were both pretty good). The addition of Stefon Diggs will be sure to help out QB Josh Allen in his development, and provide star-power that could help out a team on the rise such as Buffalo.

Buffalo Bills Draft:

Notable Draft Picks: Round 2, Pick 54: DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

Round 3, Pick 86: RB Zack Moss, Utah

Round 4, Pick 128: WR Gabriel Davis, UCF

Round 5, Pick 167: QB Jake Fromm, Georgia

Once again, you must commend the Bills. It doesn't seem like much, but I think they made some good-value, quick contributor selections. A.J. Epenesa saw his draft stock fall a bit as a result of a lackluster combine, but his power should translate well into a division with still-developing O-lines. Zack Moss is a physical back that'll be able to split carries with Devin Singletary. Gabriel Davis will help add more depth to their receiving core, and maybe build a rapport with Josh Allen, just as Stefon Diggs is hoped to do. Jake Fromm probably won't ever be much more than a career backup in terms of playing time, but he has valuable traits with his leadership and knowledge of the game.

Overall Off-Season Grade: B+

Miami Dolphins Free-Agency:

Key Additions/Retainals: CB Byron Jones

OLB Kyle Van Noy

LG Ereck Flowers

RB Jordan Howard

DE Emmanuel Ogbah

LB Elandon Roberts

C Ted Karras

OLB Kamu Grugier-Hill

ILB VInce Biegel

P Matt Haack

S Adrian Colbert

Key Losses: S Reshad Jones

OLB Chase Allen

Pretty lopsided here for the Dolphins. They managed to add virtually everybody, while losing virtually nobody. Reshad Jones would've been a big loss a few years earlier, but his injuries and relatively high salary made him an expendable commodity, one that the Dolphins ended up letting go. Adding Byron Jones has put the Dolphins in contention for the title of Top CB Duo in the NFL, while guys like Kyle Van Noy, Emmanuel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts, and Kamu Grugier-Hill will add depth and versatility to the front-seven. Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras will do the same for the O-line, a long-time area of need for Miami. Jordan Howard was the first running back addition to the roster this off-season, a position group that desperately needed help, seeing as Kalen Ballage basically did nothing for an entire year. Then of course, the crown-jewel of the bunch, the retaining of punter Matt Haack, who played the role of thrower in one of the NFL's wildest trick plays from this past season.

Miami Dolphins Draft:

Notable Draft-Picks: Round 1, Pick 5: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Round 1, Pick 18: OT Austin Jackson, USC

Round 1, Pick 30: DB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn

Round 2, Pick 39: OT/G Robert Hunt, Louisiana-Lafayette

Round 2, Pick 56: DT Raekwon Davis, Alabama

Round 3, Pick 70: S Brandon Jones, Texas

Round 5, Pick 164: OLB Curtis Weaver, Boise State

Round 7, Pick 246: WR Malcolm Perry, Navy

Traded Pick 153 for RB Matt Breida

Chris Grier went to work in the draft. With their first pick, the Dolphins completed their most high-profile endeavor since the days of Dan Marino - the Tank for Tua. Miami got their guy in Tua, who I (once again, remember that I am a Dolphins fan) expect to make an extraordinary, franchise-changing impact. That expectation may or may not include winning a Superbowl or two (or three, or four, or - you get the jist). After that, an argument could be made that the Dolphins reached for some of their selections. I don't see it that way. They could have probably got Austin Jackson with their third pick in the first round, as well as Robert Hunt later in the second, but the Dolphins made it clear that their primary goal in this draft was to get Tua, and protect Tua. To do that, reaching is sometimes necessary. And besides, if Austin Jackson reaches his potential, he could possibly be the best lineman in this class, with Robert Hunt being in a similar situation (though not quite as high of a ceiling). Noah Igbinoghene will be a good nickel corner for Brian Flores to use in his man-heavy defensive scheme. Brandon Jones will come in and contribute to an already scary secondary. Curtis Weaver has conditioning concerns, but his production at Boise State is undeniable. Malcolm Perry is a dynamic athlete with a Taysom Hill-esque (I know, I know, all good athletes who play basically every offensive position are getting compared to Taysom Hill these days) skillset. Finally, trading for Matt Breida was a phenomenal move in my eyes, as it provides the Fins with a backfield consisting of Jordan Howard and Breida, two guys who complement each other very well.

Overall Off-Season Grade: A

New York Jets Free-Agency:

Key Additions/Retainals: OT George Fant

LB Patrick Onwuasor

WR Breshad Perriman

OT Brandon Shell

DB Pierre Desir

G Connor McGovern

OLB Jordan Jenkins

TE Ryan Griffin

DB Brian Poole

K Sam Ficken

Key Losses: DB Maurice Canady

WR Robby Anderson

DB Darryl Roberts

The Jets free-agency period didn't necessarily consist of star power, but it does consist of quality football players who'll help the Jets build on a strong finish last season. George Fant, Brandon Shell, and Connor McGovern will provide depth on the offensive line, which has been a huge position of need ever since Sam Darnold was drafted in 2018. The addition of Pierre Desir, along with retaining Brian Poole, will help out in the secondary, which will be important for AFC East teams if Tua turns out to be the superstar that many expect him to be and Josh Allen reaches his full potential. There weren't many losses for the Jets, either. It would've been nice to keep Robby Anderson, but his price tag was just too steep for the production that he offers.

New York Jets Draft:

Notable Draft-Picks: Round 1, Pick 11: OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville

Round 2, Pick 59: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor

Round 3, Pick 68: S Ashtyn Davis, California

Round 3, Pick 79: DE Jabari Zuniga, Florida

Round 4, Pick 120: RB Lamichal Perine, Florida

Round 4, Pick 125: QB James Morgan, FIU

Round 5, Pick 158: DB Bryce Hall, Virginia

The Jets had a really good draft. They were able to add a huge tackle in Mekhi Becton to hopefully help keep Sam Darnold's blind-side safe for the next decade. Denzel Mims is a big receiver that'll be able to make plays and bail Darnold out a lot. Ashtyn Davis was one of my favorite safeties in the draft due to his play-making abilities and explosive athleticism. The next few picks were guys that could help out the Jets on both side of the ball, including Bryce Hall who was an absolute steal at pick 158. James Morgan will also provide value as a backup quarterback to Darnold, who notably missed three games with mono this past season.

Overall Off-Season Grade: A-

Division Recap:

Overall, the division just had a really busy offseason. The Bills, Dolphins, and Jets knocked it out of the park, with each teams respective GM's gaining recognition for a job well-done. The Patriots, on the other hand, have been on the other end of those remarks, with many considering their off-season below-par and even recently being accused of 'Tanking for Trevor', in reference to the team's seemingly strategical roster tear-down in hopes of acquiring a high enough pick to select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence in next year's draft (kind of like what people thought the Dolphins were doing with Tank for Tua, which both failed and worked in the end). One thing is for sure - the division will be far more competitive than it has been the past two decades, and that gives me all the hope I need.